Easily be 802.11n!
The nQuicky PCMCIA/CardBus is a great way for PowerBook users to update
their computers to the new 802.11 n draft! This means full
compatibility with the new AirPort Extreme Base Station. The nQuicky
brings the 802.11n draft which has a high speed yield of 300
mbit/second (far better than the 802.11g standard). Additionally the
range is increased up to 3 times the range of 802.11 g.
This
is all thanks to improvements over the previous standard and MIMO
technology. MIMO is Multi-Input Multi-Output, meaning both the Base
Station (or Router) and the Mac (or PC) must have multiple antennas to
employ something called “spatial-multiplexing”. This is most
important in the speed department, think of it as having a 4 lane
highway instead of a 2 lane highway, and having plenty of traffic for
the former!
The computer industry as a whole
is embracing this new draft proposal, unsurprisingly Apple is at the
forefront by including it in their new Base Station. Also keep in mind
that 802.11 b/g Macs will still work with your new Base Station, with
the caveat that the Base Station is forced to adhere all connected Macs
to the lowest standard on the network. This is exactly why having all
older Macs (and PCs) up to the 802.11 n standard is the way to go!
*Please note, for full 802.11 N speed, all active wireless devices must be 802.11 N Draft 2.0 compliant.
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